The Prince and the Pauper
by The Green Cat
Summary: IN the ancient city of London, on a certain autumn day in the second quarter of the sixteenth century...the digidestined had a camping trip...
1. The beginning of the night

The digi-destined are on a camping trip about three years after getting back from the digi-world. Takuya had just asked Izumi out about three weeks ago and she said yes. Everyone is getting ready to go to sleep. Takuya and Izumi are fooling around with s'mores and Kouji and Kouichi are sitting off to the side.

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"They really are a romantic couple, aren't they, Kouichi?" Kouji said softly.

Kouichi looked at him and then looked at the couple throwing melted marshmallows at each other. It didn't seem very romantic to him.

"Kouji?" He looked at his brother oddly.

Kouji glared at him as if to say 'if I say it's romantic then it's romantic.'

"Right…" Kouichi looked back and saw that they were settling down. Izumi had stuffed a steaming marshmallow into Takuya's mouth and he was jumping around like someone had lit his butt on fire, but a moment later, Izumi had stopped him and was bringing her mouth to meet his.

"Humph."

Kouichi turned around and saw that this brother had stood up.

"That pauper…" His fists were clenched and it looked as though he was just about ready to punch his best friend.

"Kouji, you ok?" His brother said.

"Izumi only agreed to be with him because he looked so pathetic following her around asking for a date." Kouji grumbled through his teeth. "He doesn't deserve her."

Kouichi raised his eyebrows. "Oh, I see how it is. You want her for yourself."

"What? No way." Kouji suddenly didn't look so mad and threatening. "I just think that she deserves more than that…that…pauper." He seemed at a lack of words. "I didn't mean me!"

"Right…" Kouichi kept grinning. "Oh, and might I ask why you're insulting your best friend all of a sudden?"

Kouji glared again and stormed off into the woods.

Kouichi watched him go and then said. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I agree with you."


	2. An Unfortunate Storm

Izumi tossed in her sleeping bag, the fire was doused and Takuya was snoring peacefully beside her.

"Figures." She shrugged. "I'll just go take a short walk."

Takuya rolled over like a dead log.

"Sleep tight." She stood up and hunted for her shoes, looking around to see if anyone else was awake.

_1-2-3-4…wait, who's missing? _She silently counted the sleeping bags. She counted them again and got the same result. _Takuya, Junpei, Tomoki, Kouichi, Kouji…wait! Where's Kouji?_

"Oh, well." She said out loud and set off in the exact same direction Kouji left a few hours ago.

A few minutes later, it started to rain. First, it was just a few refreshing drops, and Izumi didn't even think of turning back, but as she strolled through the bushes and looked up, a shower of rain came pouring down. It went from a normal shower to buckets in seconds and she became instantly blinded.

"Help!" She yelled. "Takuya! Junpei! Tomoki! Kouichi! Somebody!"

She ran blindly in whichever direction seemed at least somewhat less obscure.

"Help me!" She called again, stumbling over something. "Anyone!"

She didn't even know what yelling for help would do. Everyone else would be just as blinded by the rain.

She struggled to her feet, surprised to find a small stream before her, and just a few feet away, she thought she could see a cave entrance.

At a lack of a better plan, she ran straight into the darkness, not even sure if there was something inside already. Instead of more darkness, she ran into light, a fireplace, and there was someone already there.

"Hello," That someone said, "why don't you come in and get dry?"

---In the meantime—

"Takuya! Everyone! Wake up!" Tomoki cried, running around frantically.

"Hm? Tomoki, I'm trying to get some sleep here!" Takuya protested grumpily.

"It's raining!" Tomoki shouted.

"You don't say?" Junpei replied with his eyes still closed. "Pass the salt please."

"Kouichi!" The youngest boy pounced on the last of his sleeping friends. "Where's your brother? And Izumi?"

"Kouji's got a crush on someone." Kouichi muttered with an almost wicked smile on his face. "And I know who it is."

"Huh?" Tomoki looked like he was almost on the verge of tears. "We've got to go!"

Nobody seemed to notice that it was beginning to downpour. In a moment, everyone's sleeping bags were drenched and finally, some of them began to wake up.

"Who's throwing cold water on me?" Takuya yelled, sitting bolt upright. When he realized there were no snickering friends around, he looked around, confused. "Huh?"

"Tomoki! I was having a really nice dream with roast beef, and stuffing, and beautiful women." Junpei complained. "Rain doesn't justify you waking me up from that."

"Kouji? Izumi?" Kouichi's eyes snapped open. "Where are they?"

"Guys! We have to hurry and get out of this rain!" Tomoki interrupted. "All our stuff is getting wet!"

"Okay, guys, you heard the man…err…kid…we gotta get moving!" Takuya shouted.

"Aye, aye, captain." Junpei and Kouichi said simultaneously. They looked at each other, wondering why they were being so ridiculous.

"Ah…" Takuya shook his head as he put on his hat and goggles.

Quickly, though blinded, the group worked together to get all the camping supplies and sleeping bags packed up and under a tree. Then, they themselves piled into the shelter of another tree and watched the never-ending sheets of white fly before them.

"By the way." Kouichi began.

"Where's Izumi!" Takuya yelled.

---

"Wow…" Izumi mused. "You really know how to survive in the wilderness."

"Yeah?" Kouji replied, poking the fire with a stick. He didn't look at her.

"Mmhm." She replied earnestly. "I mean, you knew that the storm was coming and you found a cave to hide in."

"Uh…" He blushed a little and continued to poke the fire. His stick exploded in flame. "Whoa!"

"Just drop it into the fire." Izumi advised when he tried to shake the stick to put out the fire.

Kouji let go of the stick and sat back, panting to catch his breath. He looked over to Izumi. "Thanks."

She smiled. "Don't mention it."

A few moments of silence followed, broken by the sound of Izumi giggling.

"What's so funny?" He demanded, but in seconds was consumed by laughter too.


	3. Peace at last

Izumi had fallen asleep again as the fire dwindled to a low crackle. Kouji, on the other hand, still found it hard to fall asleep. He took off his jacket and covered her with it then walked to the mouth of the cave.

Although the rain was a bit better than it was before, it would still be hard and hazardous to go and find his friends again. Besides, it was better to let Izumi sleep for a while, and he didn't want to leave her alone.

It was around three in the morning, he guessed, and in four hours, his parents, and his friends' parents would be coming from their campsite a few miles away to wake them up and take them on a hike to their next camping spot.

_I wonder how Takuya and them are doing._ He thought. _That pauper…he doesn't deserve Izumi._

He looked over to the sleeping girl; beautiful, with her straight blonde hair gently framing her peaceful face.

_I want her. _He realized. _Kouichi was right, I do want her for myself._

He looked away, almost surprised at his own thoughts and feelings.

_Takuya is my best friend, but still…even if I'm not really mad at him, I don't want him to be the one making her happy and making her laugh._ He recalled the few minutes of laughter earlier that night, and smiled. _Izumi Orimoto…_


	4. A moment in time

Izumi stirred, but Kouji was too absorbed in his own thoughts to notice. She jumped a little when she realized whose jacket she lay under, but then smiled to herself. _Kouji…_

She looked around for him and found him at the cave entrance, staring off into the rain. He looked a little sad and lonely, even his ever-present bandana was gone at the moment. He looked vulnerable but powerful at the same time, the look on his face profound.

"Kouji." She didn't mean to say his name out loud. He heard and turned back to her.

"You're awake." He said simply.

"I guess I am." She chuckled weakly, but now didn't seem to be the moment.

He stayed where he was as she went to join him by the entrance. She said nothing as she strode up.

"Um…thank you for your jacket…again." She whispered, thinking about another time he had lent her his jacket.

He smiled and took his jacket back when she offered it.

_He seems so different. _She thought in shock. _He usually isn't this…happy._

"Izumi…" He looked away. "I have to know…"

"Yes, Kouji?" She asked softly.

His heart pounded unexpectedly with the tenderness in her tone.

"How do you really feel about Takuya?" He stared off into the rain again.

"Oh…" She didn't know if she had expected the question or not. "I like him, I guess."

"Like him…" He repeated. "Well, what about…"

She blushed even though she didn't know what he was going to say.

"What about…at the campsite?" He blurted out. "You were going to kiss him."

She looked at him, surprised. "I did kiss him."

His cheeks tinged a little bit. He hadn't stayed to see.

"But it was only on the cheek." Why did she need to justify her actions for Kouji?

"I-I didn't let him kiss me afterwards." She stammered.

He was silent. _Izumi…would it have been your first kiss if you had…_

"I didn't want to really kiss him yet." She admitted. "I was going to save my first kiss until I was sure I wanted…"

Amazingly, she had just answered his question.

"Are you alright, Kouji?" She stopped to look at him. "You look a little pale."

"I'm fine, Izumi." He sounded worse than he felt.

"Oh…" She murmured. "I suppose I shouldn't have been rambling on and on."

"No, I-I wanted to know." He replied.

She blushed again.

"Izumi, how do you feel about us?" He said before he could stop himself.

"Us?" Her cheeks turned a darker shade of red.

"Yeah…you know…" He didn't want to talk about this until later, but he couldn't very well take back what he said, especially since Izumi wasn't outright indignant about his question.

"Um…" She was looking in the complete opposite direction he was, too embarrassed to continue.

_Did I hear him right? _She looked back at him from the corner of her eye. He was still staring off into the insistent rain. _Does he want…do I want…what is going on? I've never felt this way before._

_If she doesn't feel the same way I do, then so be it. _Kouji was thinking. _Nobody will know what took place here, and if Izumi doesn't want to tell, then we can still be friends. But if she does feel something…anything…I must know._

"Izumi…" He finally looked at her.

"Hm?" She turned back to him, her face still not the original color.

"Kouji, I think…" He stopped her.

"Don't think." He advised. "Do…"

It sounded more like he was beginning a question, but he didn't say anything more, and approached her slowly. She closed her eyes as he tilted her face upward. He didn't move quickly, feeling her breath on his face and almost hearing her heart beat quicker as he brushed his lips against hers. When she didn't protest, he deepened the kiss, pulling her up against him.

If anyone had been watching, it might've even been a little funny. Izumi in her wet pajamas and the dry Kouji, fully clothed. But a number of romantics would agree, sometimes it's a mismatch that makes a romance…well, romantic.

The two could hardly notice. Even though Izumi was probably getting Kouji's clothes wet as they embraced, they didn't pull away for the longest time.

Kouji, however, was almost afraid that Izumi didn't want for this to be her first kiss and backed away first. Then again, it was a little bit too late, and Izumi pulled him back to her.

After the second kiss, they were quite out of breath, and Kouji was on the verge of sneezing from wet clothes.

"Kouji…" Izumi whispered, still in his arms. "I think I'm in love with you."

He sneezed, putting Izumi in the most awkward suspense as to his reply.

"Bless you…" She said.

"Izumi…" He smiled. "I think I'm in love with you too."


	5. Epilogue

The next morning, after the rain had stopped, Takuya, Junpei, Tomoki, Kouichi and their parents came looking for the lost two friends and found them asleep in each other's arms.

Takuya was at first furious, but after they woke up, they were found in such a sorry state that the worry of the parents overlapped the anger of the one boy. Izumi and Kouji were forced to return home early with their parents, and Takuya was fighting to go home with. Something about "I have to keep that spoiled prince from my girl!"

Eventually, Takuya got over his best friend stealing his girlfriend and they became best friends again. Although, whenever Takuya got a new girlfriend he was careful not to give her and Kouji any time alone together.

It gave Izumi a couple of laughs, and the whole gang was definitely more supportive of Kouji and Izumi than the obnoxious Takuya with their fellow digi-destined.

So basically, things turned out fine. You didn't really think the prince and the pauper would be a copy of Mark Twain's novel about two boys switching place, now did you?

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Author's note: I suppose this story is a little bit cheesy and such, but I just felt like writing a little Kouzumi moment, just before I finish my other Kouzumi fic. But if anyone is reading that, I was having a little Writer's Block moment, this is suppose to get my creative juices running.


End file.
